KLWT-TV
KLWT-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Texas Big Bend. Licensed to Marfa, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 (or virtual channel 35.1 via PSIP) from a transmitter in midtown Marfa. This station can also be seen on Cox Cable Channel 12. Owned by Cox Media Group, KLWT has sales and administrative offices in Marfa and Ft. Davis, with a Mexican news bureau in Ojinaga, where it produces Spanish-language news. History Early History The station was founded on March 5, 1979 and first hit the airwaves a few days later as a satellite of KMID (now an ABC affiliate). It was also the Big Bend's first UHF station. Some of NBC's programming was available on that station as well as El Paso's KTSM-TV (Channel 9), all of which are available on cable in most parts of the region. On Christmas Eve 1979, channel 35 was sold to Group W and became a separate station. Group W, in turn, would later sell the station to Telepictures in June 1986. Westinghouse ownership Channel 35 started up its time as a separate station as a Westinghouse-owned station, making the first station in Texas owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting, under the "Group W" name. In 1986, upon the sale of WPCQ (now WCNC-TV, Channel 36) in Charlotte two years before, it sold KLWT to the broadcasting division of television production company Telepictures, which later merged with motion picture company Lorimar into Lorimar-Telepictures. Acquirement by Renaissance, then to Tribune In 1988, Renaissance Broadcasting purchased KLWT from L-P, making it a sister station to WPCQ and Fox affiliate WPGH-TV (channel 53) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1997, Renaissance sold KLWT-TV and its entire television stations group to Tribune Broadcasting, making Tribune's first NBC affiliate until its sale to Cox in 2000. Tribune would later own two NBC affiliates in Des Moines, Iowa and Oklahoma City when it acquired Local TV LLC. Tribune would later re-enter the Alpine/Marfa/Fort Davis television market when it purchased ABC affiliate KAMD-TV (Channel 11) from SagamoreHill Broadcasting. Cox era In 2000, Tribune announced that it would sell KLWT to current owner Cox Enterprises, which promises the station more local news and advanced syndicated programming. This change of ownership made KLWT a sister station to fellow NBC affiliate WPXI (Channel 11) in Pittsburgh. Programming During the 1980's, KLWT provided the strongest syndicated programming for the Big Bend and became the #1 Kids station in town, providing TV shows like "Jeopardy!", "Wheel of Fortune", "Thundercats", "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe", "She-Ra: Princess of Power", "Challenge of the Gobots", "SkySurfers Strike Force" and "Centurions" as well as the animated adaption of the hit TV series "ALF". It also began airing "The People's Court" in 1988 upon its ownership by Lorimar-Telepictures and continues to air the series since its revival in 1997. It also has shows like "Donahue", "Jerry Springer", "The Maury Povich Show", "Sally Jessy Raphael" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show". It also carried the first episodes of "Entertainment Tonight" and its weekend edition, "Entertainment This Week" until March 1982 when independent station KAMD-TV (channel 11, now an ABC affiliate) was launched. It continues to air Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! until they were transfered to rival CBS affiliate KBBW-TV on January 3, 2000. News Titles *Channel 35 Eyewitness News (1979-1986) **Channel 35 Eyewitness News Nightcast *Newswatch 35 (1986-2000) **Nightwatch 35 *NBC 35 News (2000-2008) **NBC 35 News Nightcast (2000-2004) *NBC Big Bend News (2008-present) Station Slogans *35, Proud as a Peacock! (1979-1981, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *35, Our Pride is Showing (1981-1982, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *We're 35, Just Watch Us Now (1982-1983, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *35 There, Be There (1983-1984, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *35 Cable 12, Let's All Be There (1984-1986, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *Come Home to 35, Cable 12 (1986-1987, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *Come on Home to 35 (1987-1988, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *Come Home to the Best, 35 Cable 12 (1988-1990, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *35 Cable 12, The Place to Be! (1990-1992, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *It's A Whole New 35 (1992-1993, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *The Stars are Back on 35 (1993-1994, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *It's 35 (1994-1995, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *The Year to Be on 35 (1995-1996, localized version of NBC ad campaign) *The Big Bend's Number #1 Station! (1985-1990; general slogan) *The News People! (1979-1981; news slogan) *Keeping It Real in the Big Bend (1981-1990; news slogan) *The Spirit of the Big Bend (1986-present; general slogan) *We're The Team! (1990-1995; general slogan) *Where the News Comes First (1990-1995; news slogan) *The NBC Leader in the Area (1995-2000; general slogan) *Working for You (1995-2000; news slogan) *Your Choice For News and Weather (2000-2006; news slogan) *Your 24-Hour News Leader (2006-present; news slogan) Logos Logo for klwt tv 1979 1986 by revinchristianhatol-d9matfz.png|1979-1986 Logo for klwt tv 1979 1992 by revinchristianhatol-d9ndfn2.png|1979-1992 KLWT_ID_1979.png|KLWT logo from 1979 promoting NBC's Proud as a Peacock (series 1) KLWT 1980.png|KLWT logo from 1980 promoting NBC's Proud as a Peacock (series 2) Logo for klwt tv 1983 1992 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5w9l.png|1983-1992 Logo for klwt tv 1986 1992 by revinchristianhatol-d9matga.png|1986-1992 Logo for klwt tv 1992 1997 by revinchristianhatol-d9mxthz.png|1992-1997 Newscast logo for klwt tv 1992 1997 by revinchristianhatol-d9oxed4.png|Newscast Logo (1992-1997) Logo for klwt tv 1997 2000 by revinchristianhatol-d9mxu2g.png|1997-2000 Newscast logo for klwt tv 1997 2000 by revinchristianhatol-d9oxedo.png|Newscast Logo (1997-2000) Logo for KLWT-TV (2000-2008).png|2000-2008 Newscast Logo for KLWT-TV (2000-2008).png|Newscast Logo (2000-2008) Logo for KLWT-TV (2008-present).png|2008-2016 Evening magazine promo for klwt tv 1979 1982 by revinchristianhatol-d9ndh80.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv 1982 1983 by revinchristianhatol-d9ndh89.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv 1983 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5t17.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv 1983 1985 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5t11.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv 1985 1989 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5vqp.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv jan may 1989 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5vyi.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv may aug 1989 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5vsy.png Evening magazine promo for klwt tv aug 1989 92 by revinchristianhatol-d9n5vtn.png Category:NBC affiliated stations Category:Channel 35 Category:Marfa Category:Alpine Category:Fort Davis Category:Texas Category:Television channels and stations established in 1979 Category:Cox Media Group